Wire-stringing machine



Jan. '7, 1947. c. CLEMENT ETAL WIRE STRING'ING' mourn Filed Aug. '7, '1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' v INVENTORS J m 7,19 7 QMLEMENT-ETAL 2 413,909

WIRE STRINGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 7, 1944 V 4 Sheds-Sheet? INVENmRS Jan. 7, 1947. Q 5 T AL 2,413,909

WI'RE'STRINGING MACHINE 4 Shets-Sheet z' Filed Aug. 7, 1944 f INVENZ'ORS TM Z5 L84 H FIG. 3

Jan. 7, 1947. c. H. CLEMENT ETAL WIRE STI'RINGING MACHINE Q Filed Aug. 7,- '1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

Ma /r095 z? W V Patented Jan. 7, 1947 'wrna-s'rnmomo- MACHINE Clyde H. Clement and Robert H. Armstrong,

. Phoenix, Ariz.

ApplicationAugust 7, 1944,Ser'ial No. 548,482

1 Claim.

This invention relates to wire stringers of the type adapted to place and string power line wires on overhead poles for transmission of electricity.

Heretofore, line wires have been placed and strung by first unreeling the wire on the ground parallel with the line of poles; then elevating the wire to the cross arms; then stretching and tightening the wire, one-half mile or so at a time, while climbers goup each pole included in the stretch and fasten the wire to the insulators on the cross-arms. This operation requires a rather large crew, and the work is necessarily slow due to the delay in climbing the poles, the delay in securing the correct sag between poles, and the fact that only one wire may be stretched at one time,

In view of this, one of the objects of our invention is to provide a mobile platform adapted to support wire reelsand two towers, one for stretching the wire at an elevation equal to or above pole height, and the other supporting a platform high enough so that workmen on the platform will be within easy reach of the crossarm insulators.

A further object, is to provide a mobile stringing platform holding wire reels and provided with elevated towers so that wires may be strung directly over the insulators from pole to pole, drawn to proper tension, and immediately fastened.

A still further object is to provide a vehicle adapted to be run parallel'toia line of poles, having a platform carrying a plurality of wire reels, mechanism for paying out wire at a given rate,

tensioning the wire or reeling it in, together with an elevated stringing tower having an overhanging boom adapted to place string and'tension a plurality of wires in position on pole crossarms, and a workmans platform elevated to approximately insulator height, and adapted to be swung from an alined position to a transverse position across the pole line; all parts being ar-- ranged so that, as the vehicle is driven past a pole, the wires maybe laid adjacent their proper insulators, and the workmans platform maybe swung to a position within easy reach of the insulators. Then, as the wires are stretched to proper tension, they may be directly and immediately fastened to the insulators and the vehicle moved to the next pole.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. We attain'the foregoing objects by means of themachine, construction and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is 'a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2, a plan view of the bed and mechanism with the upper portion of the stringing tower sectioned off to show construction beneath it.

Figure 3, a cross-sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2, and drawn on a slightly larger scale.

Figure 4, a plan view of the stringing tower and boom extending beyond the edge of the plan view Fig. 2.

Figure 5, a plan view of the reel control mechanism.

Figure 6, is a side elevation of a paying out sheave; drawn on an enlarged scale;

Figure 7, an elevation of a detachable Wheel and axle support; and

Figure 8, an elevational section of the tower support drawn on an enlarged scale.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views:

The vehic1e2, is in this instance, represented as a trailer consisting of a bed 3 supported by wheels 4 and 5. The forward Wheels 4 are provided with knuckle joints 6 joined by rod I and the draw bar 8 is pivoted and connected to turn these wheels according to the direction in which the vehicle is drawn. Ordinarily, the bed is about 8.feet wide and 32feet long, and the axles 9 and 10 supporting these wheels are 16 feet wide. The bedis positioned on the right hand portion of these axles. The left hand wheels are made in the form of steel drums, provided with fillings and draining outlets, H and l2,.respectively. Water is added to these when necessary to act as ballast.

The axles Band l9 are attached by bolts 13 to under supports I'5, beneath bed 3, so that they may be removed and replaced by other axles and wheels for road travel. Kingpin turn plates 16 are also provided at the ends of the bed for at I tachinent to a half truck at one end and a two wheeled pole trailer at the other.

. The bed carries wire stringing machinery grouped generally as follows: At the front is a telescoping stringing tower 20 carrying a boom 21. Behind this are reels and reel racks 23 which are controlled by the paying out and reeling .in mechanismz l driven 'by engine 26, at the .rear is atelescoping linemans tower 21.

Both towers are braced laterally and longitu- EdinaLlly and boom 2| is particularly braced, to

steel tubes, 30. An extensible portion working between these tubes, also composed of two steel tubes 3|, forms the upper part of the tower. Guide blocks 32 and 33 welded to tubes 30 provide slide ways for tubes 3| and afford means for telescoping the two portions of the tower. Tubes 3| are welded to spacing blocks 34 at their uper and lower ends.

The lower portion of this tower is braced laterally by stays 35, and longitudinally by compression braces 36 and 31. The ends of these members as well as the foot piece 38, on the bottom of this portion of the tower, are secured by pins 39, running thru suitable blocks 48 on bed 3 to afford means for detachment and erection of the tower.

The upper portion of the tower is braced longitudinally by the extensible truss 4| formed by a cable attached at its top running over the spreader 42 and tightened by the winch 43 at the bottom.

The horizontal, transversely extending, boom 2| is supported in upper block 34 at the top of tubes 3|. Its longer arm extends out over the right hand side of bed 3 as shown in Fig. 4 and is prevented from swinging to the rear by cable 28 attached to its left end. The linemans platform tower 21 is constructed in much the same manner. Two steel tubes 58 are separated by blocks and removably attached to the bed 3. These tubes are braced laterally of bed 3 by tubes 52, and longitudinally of bed 3 by braces 53. A pair of tubes 54 joined at their ends slide in blocks 5| between the outer tubes to attain a telescoping effect. On the upper portion of these tubes two circular plates 55 comprise bearings to support cylinder 63 to which is attached platform 56. Rings 64 within this cylinder turn on these plates. Telescoping action is obtained by a cable 51 which is attached to the upper block 5| on tubes 58, passes under a sheave not shown at the lower end of tubes 54,- and is attached to a hand winch 55 on linemans platform 56. The pivotal position of the platform is controlled by a crank and gear 58 on the platform acting on a crowngear 59 attached just above the upper supporting plate 55 on tubes 54. The platform 56 includes a rectangular floor 60 attached to the lower portion of the cylinder 63 and a railing 6| attached to the upper end of this cylinder.

The forward or boom carrying tubes, are given telescopic action by a cable 45 attached to their lower ends, running up over a sheave 46 on top of tubes 30 and down to a hand operated ratchet winch 66.

Boom 2| carries three stringing sheaves 61, 68 and 69 on its outer right hand portion, these are positioned relative to bending, sheaves numbered 16, H and 12, respectively, and these latter are positioned in proper position relative to three paying out or brake sheaves 13, 14 and 15, supported on a transverse shaft 16 attached by a suitable bracket to the lower part of tubes 38.

The device here illustrated is adapted to string three wires at one time. Wire of the type here concerned comes wound on spools 88 ofaffairly uniform size. These spools mustbe supported so that the wire will unwind evenly, passing over the paying out sheaves 13,14 and 15,. and so that they are held against unwanted free rotation such as would allow snarling. To support these spools there are three removable longitudinal shafts 82 supported on bearings 83 at the lend end and by hollow shafts 86 at the right.

Plates 85, having projecting pins 89 adapted to engage in holes in the ends of each spool are carried on shaft 86 into which the removable shafts 82 fit. The two shafts are joined by thru bolts 81. When a spool is to be changed bolt 81, on its shaft, is removed and its shaft 82 pulled out to the left. Filler block 88 is then removed and the spool 88 slid to the left to disengage pins 69 on plate 85. When the new spool is remounted it is held against plate 85 by block 88. The pins 89 lock the spool to plate 86 on shaft 86 and filler block 88 checks the spool against the plate.

All spools may then be controlled by paying out and reeling mechanism to suit conditions of stringing. This is done by controlling shafts 86. These shafts may be rotated in either direction thru gear shift boxes 90. The center or driving shafts of the group receives power thru shaft 9|, directly from engine drive shaft 92. The outer shafts are driven by means of chains 93 and 94. The engine 26 drives shaft 92 thru gear shift 95 in either direction and at varying speeds. Cat head 96 is placed on shaft 82 for general utility purposes, and is not necessarily connected with the reeling mechanism. A brake 91 is placed on each of the reel supporting shafts 86. This is simply constructed by a spring tensioned looped portion of a belt running over a V pulley keyed to the shaft.

With this mechanism it is possible to control all spools as a group by means of shift 95, or any one or two by their individual shifts 98. Snarling is prevented by brakes 91, and wire tension by the brake loaded sheaves 13, 14 and 15. The brakes on these latter are made similarly to brakes 91 using a V pulley and a loopof V belting fastened at the base at one end, and held taut by a spring at the other.

The machine is assembled by erecting both towers and extending the upper portions to the height desired. This includes operation of elevation winch 66, truss winch 46; and elevation winch 55. The stringing boom is then tensioned by winch 29. Full spools are placed on their respective shafts and the wire wrapped one turn over the tension sheaves 13, 14 and 15, thence over the bending sheaves 19, 1| and 12, and lastly over the stringing sheaves 61, 68 and 69. The wire is indicated by. dotted lines 98 in Figs. 3 and 4. Wheels 4 and '5 may then be filled with water ballast and the whole machine towed along a line of poles to be strung.

Bed 2 is run so that the stringing sheaves run over the tops of the poles with the sheaves paying out the wires to be strung in alined position with the insulators |0|, I02, I83, on pole I88. The sheaves are adjusted along boom 2|, accordingly. After the wires are anchored to an end pole the device is drawn to a point just beyond the next pole and stopped. Each wire, or all wires, as necessary aredrawn to proper tension; the linemans platform is then swung around to a position in front of the pole just passed, and a workman on the platform ties the Wires to the insulators. The device is then drawn ahead to the next pole and the operation repeated. Thus the wires are tensioned and tightened as theyare strung from pole to pole.

To thosefamiliar with the art it will be at once apparent that a great deal of time and labor is saved by this method. Obviously where the ground is rough and broken the machine cannot be used. Its useis-confined to long level stretches of terrain where a wheeled trailer, such as described, can be drawn. In these areas the mechanism also adapts itself to reeling in lines that are to be taken down. The method is the reverse of the stringing process, and wire is not spoiled by chafing and snarling as when laid on the ground.

Since many changes and modifications may suggest themselves to those familiar with the art, we wish to be limited only by the following claim.

We claim:

The wire stringing machinery, including in combination a wheeled vehicle, having axles with ballastable wheels laterally offset from said vehicle body, a bed removably and adjustably mounted thereon, and adapted for trailer transport, a telescoping stringing tower mounted at the forward end of said bed, a stringing boom attached to the top of said tower, having means for bracing and adapted to extend laterally beyond the side of said bed, a telescoping linemans tower attached to the rear of said bed, a platform pivotally mounted thereon having control mechanism thereon for controlling the pivotal position and elevation of said platform, and wife handling mechanism positioned on said bed, including removable wire reels, mechanism including a power unit for rotating said reels, means for brake controlling said reels, independent of said power plant, brake controlled paying out sheaves, and stringing sheaves, adjustably mounted on said stringing boom.

CLYDE H. CLEMENT.

ROBERT H. ARMSTRONG. 

